You've ruled out zoned public school -- now what?

There are still many options to consider: a magnet program, a fundamental school, a charter school, a private school or home schooling.

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 29, 2000

You've made the crucial decision: You are not sending your son or daughter to a zoned public school next year.

Your preference may be a magnet program, a fundamental school, a charter school, a non-zoned regular school or a private school. Or, you may plan to school your child at home.

For most, the next step is to submit an application to your school of choice. Depending upon the type of program and school level, there are some basic similarities and some significant differences in application and acceptance procedures.

If you picked a public school, the first thing to remember is a date: Dec. 1, 2000, the application deadline for all magnet, fundamental and charter school programs for the 2001-2002 school year. If you apply after this date, your child will be unable to attend the special school program unless openings still exist after all other applicants are placed.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Students living anywhere in the county are eligible to apply to any magnet or fundamental school. Applications were available beginning Oct. 1 and must be returned to the desired magnet or fundamental school by Dec. 1.

First, pick up an application either at your zoned school or at the special program school or private school you have selected. Don't hesitate to apply to more than one school. You may not get your first-choice school, but you might get your second. You also may reapply each year if your child is not accepted the first time.

Depending upon the requirements of the school or program, you may be asked for teacher recommendations, copies of report cards and test scores, immunization records and a birth certificate. In some cases, your child may be asked to come in for an interview, submit a portfolio of relevant schoolwork, or write a letter or essay.

The application itself is not usually complicated, but can entail filling out several pages of information, particularly if you are applying to a private school.

All fundamental and elementary magnet school applications are the simplest, asking only for legal address, parents' names and phone numbers, as well as the student's current school, date of birth, sex and ethnic background. Middle and high school magnet applications also may ask parents to submit copies of elementary school report cards and FCAT or other standardized test scores.

Once you have completed the application, mail it back (be sure to call to confirm receipt) or hand-deliver it to the school you have chosen.

If too many children seek admission to a public school magnet, fundamental or charter program, a computerized lottery is triggered. Separate lotteries are held for black and non-black students to ensure the schools maintain a required racial balance.

Students in each lottery are assigned random numbers that determine the order of placement at each school. Those students not accepted are placed on waiting lists by grade level. Notification of their child's acceptance, placement on a waiting list or ineligibility will be mailed to parents by Feb. 1.

Once a student is accepted in a magnet or fundamental program, the student's name is removed from any other waiting lists. Once enrolled, children are automatically re-enrolled (without facing annual lotteries) in their magnet or fundamental school each year so long as they meet the school's academic and behavior requirements.

Priority placement in middle school magnet and fundamental school lotteries is given to graduates of elementary magnet and fundamental schools. Similar priority placement is given to qualified siblings of children already enrolled in a magnet and fundamental programs. This is not the case in high school magnets, however. Graduating from a middle school magnet may increase but does not guarantee the chance of acceptance to a related high school magnet.

By March 1, you must let the school district know if your child will attend the magnet, fundamental or charter school program, or if you are willing to be placed on the waiting list. Space often opens up after the beginning of school as accepted students and parents change their minds, move out of the district or find the program was not what they expected.

SPECIFIC ELEMENTARY PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Most elementary magnet and fundamental schools are "open enrollment" programs and have no requirements beyond interest and a written commitment from parents and students to the fundamental program's strict standards.

Generally, the children who are likely to succeed at or above grade level are prime candidates for the school district's magnet programs. Once enrolled in a magnet or fundamental program, students are expected to attend school regularly, maintain good study habits, and show respect for authority and others.

Ridgecrest's gifted program is open to any elementary-age child living in the county, but only those children who qualify as "gifted" are eligible to attend. If you think your child may be gifted, you should ask your school to schedule an evaluation.

The gifted program requires that children have a teacher's recommendation and meet state criteria for gifted placement. Free psychological testing is available from the school system or parents can opt for testing by a private psychologist. Students also are expected to be self-motivated in order to succeed in the program's self-directed curriculum. Sometimes, otherwise ineligible students who show a high potential for success are admitted to the gifted program.

Parents of entering first-graders must request a gifted evaluation before the Dec. 1 application deadline and have the intelligence evaluation completed no later than the first day of school. Selections for enrollment in the gifted program are made by random computer lottery. Children applying for admission to the second through fifth grades must complete their gifted evaluation prior to the Dec. 1 enrollment application deadline.

SPECIFIC MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Unlike elementary magnet programs, middle school magnets require applicants to meet stricter academic standards and demonstrate a personal commitment to and an interest in the program. Middle school magnets require most entering students to have a B average and above-average state test scores. The only exception is John Hopkins' Center for Global Studies, which has an open enrollment policy for all students.

Once accepted in a magnet, parents are guaranteed their child will remain in the program throughout middle school, providing the student maintains a sufficient grade-point average and does not violate school rules.

Fundamental middle schools are "open enrollment" schools, providing students agree to observe a strict dress code and code of conduct, and parents agree to attend all parent meetings and parent-teacher conferences. Parents also must review and sign all their children's homework.

SPECIFIC HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

High school magnet admission policies can be rigorous. Admission requirements differ from program to program, and heavily stress prior school performance, standardized test scores and student commitment demonstrated in personal interviews and written essays.

High school magnet students are expected to maintain average or above-average grades, attend school regularly and have a high degree of interest in the program's focus area. Students and parents considering a high school magnet program should thoroughly investigate the program during middle school years, since it is almost impossible to transfer to a high school magnet after the ninth grade.

Here are some of the admission requirements for specific high school magnets:

Center for Advanced Technologies at Lakewood High School. Target Group 1: a C or better in middle school academic classes and a B or better in science, mathematics and computer classes; a full credit with a C or better in Algebra I honors; and Target Group 2: have the potential to meet these performance levels in high school.

Center for Wellness and Medical Professions at Boca Ciega and Palm Harbor University High Schools. Students should have a middle school grade-point average of 2.0 or better in technical classes, a 2.5 in profession-related classes and a 3.0 in pre-medical related classes and have a personal commitment to wellness and healthy lifestyles.

Criminal Justice Academy at Pinellas Park High School. Entering students should have a minimum 2.3 grade-point average in middle school, as well as an acceptable disciplinary and attendance history.

Early Graduation Option at Osceola High School. Unlike other magnet programs, students may enter this magnet in either the ninth or 10th grades. Interested students should have either a 3.0 grade-point average in the eighth grade or a 2.75 grade-point average in the ninth grade. After admission, students are required to maintain a 2.5 grade-point average each semester, attend up to three summer sessions or complete on-line dual enrollment or night school courses.

International Baccalaureate Program at St. Petersburg and Palm Harbor University High Schools. Target 1 Group: final grades of B or better in sixth and seventh grades, at least one year of foreign language, and one credit of Algebra I Honors; Target 2 Group: have the potential to perform at same level as the Target 1 Group.

Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School. Student applicants must submit a portfolio for review or perform an audition before a professionally qualified committee, attend a personal interview, and obtain teacher recommendations. Parents also must be willing to commit their time in attending and volunteering at student performances.

21st Century Learning Center and Teaching Arts Academy at Largo High School. Applicants must have a middle school grade-point average of 2.5 or better and acceptable discipline records.

SPECIAL ATTENDANCE PERMITS

Parents can apply for special attendance permits to any zoned school in the district but must provide their children transportation to the new school. However, SAPs cannot be used to enroll students in magnet, fundamental or charter schools.

Eligible children who have medical or other needs, or hardships that cannot be met at their regular school can apply for special attendance permits (SAP) to any zoned school in the district.

Attendance permits also are granted to students who want to enroll in a themed school (such as Clearwater's Frontier Thematic Elementary School for Technology, Madeira Beach Middle School's marine studies program, or Clearwater High School's Program for International Culture and Commerce).

Special attendance applications for the coming school year normally must be submitted between March and the last day of school for students. Individual medical or hardship cases are considered throughout the year. Most permits are approved if space is available and the transfer does not upset the school's racial balance. Last year, 7,312 permits were approved countywide out of 9,586 applications.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Deadlines and entrance requirements differ widely among private schools. Parents should start the process well before the beginning of the school year. Visit the school, talk to the director and teachers, and consult with students and parents at the school.

Private high schools do not hold lotteries, but space is often limited. Many are more than half filled with a base enrollment from closely associated primary and middle schools. However, it is easier to switch to a private high school as a sophomore, junior or even senior than to enter a public magnet school program after the ninth grade. As in public school magnet programs, prior academic performance, test scores and personal interviews are crucial to private school admission.

The cost of tuition and fees at a private high school can exceed $10,000 a year, so it is important for parents to be sure both that the program is suitable and that the student is committed to meeting the school's often stringent standards. Some private high schools do offer financial aid or scholarships.

A private school's accreditation is a particularly important issue for parents of high school students. Private schools are not licensed, approved, accredited or regulated by the state and may use an independent accrediting agency affiliated with a religion or educational philosophy. If your son or daughter plans to go to college, be sure to check out the private school's college placement record.

HOME SCHOOLING

Applications for home schooling must be submitted 30 days before withdrawing your child from regular school. All you need to do is submit a "letter of intent" to the superintendent of schools to start the process.

Your home schooling application must include your child's name, address, birth date and grade level, a copy of your child's birth certificate and, if you are a teacher, a copy of your teaching certificate that will exempt your child from most of the school district's normal evaluation process.

The school system will provide you with information and resources to help you get started on your new teaching career. Be sure to check out the Florida Parent Educators Association Web site (www.fpea.com) for additional tips.

This year, 948 elementary school children are home-schooled, nearly half of the 2,036 school-age children taught by parents at home.

TRANSPORTATION ISSUES

If a child attends a zoned school and lives more than 2 miles from a school, the school system guarantees bus transportation. However, some non-zoned public school programs do not provide transportation for enrolled students.

Arterial bus transportation is provided at no cost to magnet school students at all levels. This type of transportation requires students to walk or be driven by parents to a central bus stop, often miles from home.

Fundamental and charter schools require that parents assume responsibility for transport to and from school. The same is true for students attending any school on a special attendance permit. Few private schools offer transportation to and from school.

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